What's In Your Hand?

The Lord blessed as He always does on our little piece of ground at 1862 N. Olive Street called Macedonia. The atmosphere was amazing. I have been teaching joint Sunday School all month and the Lord has been blessing our efforts through this venture. The book of Ephesians is simply amazing. One major added side effect I have noticed is in teaching the Sunday School class, I have been sharper and more dialed in during the preaching moment.

Our music ministry was of the chain Sunday, not sure what happened at choir rehearsal but whatever it was, they need to do that again because they ministered to our church. Our college students were back home so its always an interesting exchange to lose one set of students for the summer and gain the "home" college students.

We continued our series on Excuses: The things we say that prevent God plan for us, God Purpose in us, God's power through us and God's provisions towards us. The Lord directed me to Exodus 4:1-5, very familiar for all preachers and most church members and we talked about What's in your Hand?

How you look at what you hold in your hand will determine what you do with it? How do you see it? Blessing or Burden? Calling or Curse? Opportunity or Obstacle? Open Door or Closed Door? Beginning or Ending?

I am discovering that although I grew up in an era where it was always said, "You don't question God", God doesn't care about you asking him questions but can you handle it when God questions you?
Where are you?--Adam and Eve
Where is your brother?--Cain concerning Abel
What are you doing here?--God to Elijah
Is anything to Hard for God?--God to Abraham concerning Sarah
Where were you? God to Job

What's in Your Hand? God to Moses

Your answer to God's questions reveal more about your attitude than it does your aptitude. Moses answers, A Staff! He saw his gift from God as a Dry, Dead Stick. How you look at what you hold in your Hand will determine what you do with it! Moses saw his gift as:
PROBLEM WITH THE PAST: I used to be a Prince and a Prodigy in the Palace. I wore the best clothes, ate the best foods, had the best education and then one day, I got in a fight and killed my brother and ran and hid myself. Now I am in the wilderness, no palace, but a dungeon, dry, death, desolation and disappointment. Moses couldn't walk into his future because he was stuck in his past and that's how he viewed his gift, "A STAFF, DRY DEAD STICK. Many people are still stuck in their past...
PERMANENT PROFESSION: For 40 years, Moses has been a shepherd, 40 years Moses has been tending sheep and goats. His STAFF reminds him of his job, his profession. I am a shepherd. How can I be a leader, right now all I lead are sheep and goats. How can I be a speaker, right now I speak to sheep and goats, not princes and people. Many of us need to learn to start looking at ourselves through the eyes of God. I might be here now, but God sees me somewhere different.
POWERLESS PROSPECTS: Deliverance from the desert has come but Moses doesn't think it can get any better. This is as good as it will get, he has become settled in his comfort zone. People won't believe me, I don't talk well, I don't know who I am, I don't know who you are, I am content with my pessimistic portrait of my prospects.

As usual I have written too much, plus I have yet to answer the question, what is in your hand so the answer is, in your hand God has given you your:

Potential: What you can do, Vs. 3, Use What you Have! God has Given you everything you need to accomplish what He has assigned you to do!

Provision: What God has done, Vs. 4, Let God make room for you. Quit trying to do everything yourself. Get your gift out of your hands, throw it on the ground and watch what God does. What he does with the dry dead stick, He can do with you.

Power: How God brings together what you can do with what He has already done. God will do the work if you give him your stick, Vs. 5

In the NIV, vs 5 starts out by saying, THIS, if you give your THIS to God, God will give you THAT, (That they might believe). Your This may not be much to you but give it to God, David's This was some stones and a slingshot, The little boy's this was two fish and 5 loaves, Moses your this is a dry dead stick but God has given you power in your this. Red Seas will part because of the power in This, Water will flow because of This, Amalek will lose because of the power of your This.

Too much to say, not enough time, time to run

Owens